Why is Rodri Not Playing in Man City vs Leverkusen Tonight? Pep Guardiola Reveals

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Published - Nov 25, 2025, 07:30 PM

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Why is Rodri Not Playing in Man City vs Leverkusen Tonight? Pep Guardiola Reveals

Summary

Manchester City hosts Bayer Leverkusen at the Etihad Stadium on November 25 in a crucial UEFA Champions League clash.
City enters the match after a league loss to Newcastle but recently secured a dominant 4-1 Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund, while Leverkusen have struggled in Europe with just one win in four games.
Pep Guardiola confirmed Rodri will not play due to a cautious approach to his latest injury setback, following his long ACL recovery and recent fresh injury concern.

Manchester City will host the German side, Bayer Leverkusen, in the UEFA Champions League on the night of 25th November. The match will take place at the Etihad Stadium. The Cityzens are arriving following a Premier League loss to Newcastle United. They lost three crucial points because they repeatedly failed to turn their chances into goals. In their most recent European competition match, Man City easily defeated Borussia Dortmund 4-1. Their goal will be to keep up their winning streak.

From the beginning, the Werkself will be under pressure. They will have a challenging time at the next game. This season, they have only won one of their four UEFA Champions League games. Although Bayer Leverkusen are performing well at home, their next match will be difficult.

Pep Guardiola gave a verdict on why is Rodri not playing today, and he also disclosed the team's cautious plan for the Ballon d'Or winner's most recent injury return. The Spanish midfielder spent almost the entire 2024-25 season on the sidelines after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in September 2024. He returned to action towards the end of the season and appeared in a few matches in the current campaign before picking up a fresh injury.

Why is Rodri not Playing Today in Man City vs Leverkusen Match? Guardiola's verdict

Let's take a look at Pep Guardiola's verdict on why is Rodri not playing today. The Citizens' on-field performance have been compromised due to Rodri injury. Only following the Spaniard's injury during the previous campaign did City lose momentum and form, and by the beginning of 2025, they were all but eliminated from the Premier League title race. Although City had a strong start to the season, their performances have been inconsistent due to Rodri's limited appearances. The 29-year-old midfielder was forced out of the contest against Brentford inside the opening 20 minutes due to his persistent knee injury.

The City boss said,

“Everybody is fit except Kova and Rodri. Not long [for Rodri]. Not sure but not long. In the process and timing on when he will be back. We will wait a little more to make sure he is fine.”

Manchester City vs Bayer Leverkusen: Predicted Lineup

Here is the predicted lineup for Manchester City vs Bayer Leverkusen match.

Manchester City Predicted Lineup: (4-1-4-1)

Gianluigi Donnarumma – Matheus Nunes, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol – Nico González – Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, Phil Foden, Jérémy Doku – Erling Haaland.

Bayer Leverkusen Predicted Lineup: (3-4-2-1)

Mark Flekken – Jarell Quansah, Loic Badé, Jeanuël Belocian – Ernest Poku, Ibrahim Maza, Aleix Garcia, Alejandro Grimaldo – Claudio Echeverri, Malik Tillman – Christian Kofane.